Last name: Foster

This very interesting English medieval surname, the family name of the Lords Oriel of Ireland, has at least four possible origins. The first is an occupational name for a saddle tree maker, a very important occupation seven hundred or more years ago. Here the derivation is from the Old French "fustier", itself originating from the word "fustre", meaning a block of wood. This term was introduced into Britain after the 1066 Norman French invasion. Secondly, and again occupational, the name may describe a maker or user of "forcetier", these being steel shears widely used in both agriculture and textile production. A third possibility is that Foster is a contracted or dialectal spelling of Forester, a term which described a civil officer in charge of a forest. John Forester, who was recorded in the 1183 Pipe Rolls of the county of Surrey, was the first recorded bearer of this name. The last possible origin is very unusual. Here the derivation is from a shortened spelling of the Olde English pre 7th Century compound "cild-fostre", and as such an occupational nickname for a foster parent or possibly a foster child. John Foster, who was recorded in the 1373 Court Roll of the borough of Colchester, Essex, was of this source. The surname was one of the very first into the New England colonies of America. John Foster, age unknown, being recorded as being "alive in Virginea, on February 18th 1623". The first recorded spelling of the family name is probably that of Durand le Fuster, which was dated circa 1179, in the "Register of St. Bartholomew's Hospital", London, during the reign of King Henry 11nd, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189.

Kevin Foster
I speak with an Irish accent when I have a few drinks, and my beard gets red unlike the rest of my hair. I have an extreme liking to the movie Boondock Saints and the song The Blood of CuChulainn. (East Texas)

Chadwik Foster
Hmm...

SuzanneSears
There is another definition of Foster: which is the German word FURST: meaning foreigner or someone from "over there yonder" or far away..........its also a common French name: De Forest: (not referring to trees) referring instead to far away or foreigner.........

SuzanneSears
So when its found in old Anglo Saxon regions its more than likely the Germanic version: kind of means Guy who Lives up on that Hill far away....or guy from a foreign or strange place.........

Camille Foster
Damn.. .im black ...Jamaican. ..slavery is how I gt this name.

Rebecca Foster
Im from the south of England, i know very little about my dads side of the family. My Grandad lived some where near Birmingham, i think. Would be interesting to find out more.

Carolyn (Staples) Walters
The Fosters I am related to are from Missouri---mostly Mexico, Mo.My Great Grandfather was Joseph Foster and married Martha Elizabeth(Green) Foster in Callaway Co., Mo. Their youngest daughter, Alice MayFoster/Staples/Armstrong was my grandmother on my Fathers side of thefamily. I understand Joseph was Irish . I never knew him as he died beforeI was born.

Daniel

I'm black and jamaican too Camille Foster.

Jo Ann Foster Daigle

My Foster side lived in Arkansas and Tennessee. Looking for their origin. William Alvin Foster

Tammie

My Foster line in in Australia from England some time in the mid 1800s

Kylee Foster

From Havana , Illinois. If we have the same last name, when tracing it back aren't we all somehow or other related?

Stephen Foster

Does anyone else use Foss as a nickname?

Kyle Foster

I live in Northern Ireland and I have always been told the name is not associated with the fostering of children but that is possibly an old English/scots name of another meaning or possibly of a norse influence from the Viking/Scandinavian settlers in Scotland in the 9th 10th and 11th centuries, my own family history can be traced back to the plantation of the north of Ireland by the Scottish and English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries.
later many peoples of the same origin (Ulster Scots) went further to seek new lands in the Americas particularly around the appalation areas of the United States and also many of the southern states, hence the popularity of the name and other Ulster Scot names in the United States.

Gauge Foster

Anyone else in Washington state?

jacob foster
born in okc Oklahoma my mother is jewish and Kiowa indian father is jewish don't know much about mothers side of family she was adopted. my fathers side are israeli

Nathanael Rairdon
My grandfather was originally Albert Foster of Cadillac Michigan. He was adopted by the Rairdon Family at the age of ten and moved to Minnesota. His father was John Foster and his mother was Bertha Foster formerly known as Bertha Mooney. Anyone here from that area in Michigan or have ties to it? I would like to find some of his extended family.